When the book, The Family, by Naomi Krupitsky was announced as the November pick by Read With Jenna I was eager to pick up a copy.

I have an interest in Italian gangster stories, shows, and movies but never read a fiction book with this premise. Also, the book jacket was eye-appealing to me. It pictures two young women, arm in arm, with outfits depicted from the 40s or 50s. If you have read book recommendations from me previously, I am one that judges books by their covers.

Sofia Colicchio and Antonia Russo are close as sisters but are best friends living in the same apartment building since birth. They are connected by a strong emotional bond. The girls’ fathers are in “the business” together, and their mothers share each other’s hearts. 

Their father’s job and the decisions they make dictate both families’ worlds and as a result comes tragedy, love, and the test of friendship. The story gives you an inside look at the world the girls live in. As they grow into young women, their views of the family differ and their sisterhood is tested beyond measure.

This book was very entertaining! I appreciated the intimate development of the friend’s relationship. The author also finely depicted how characters within the family changed Sofia and Antonia’s feelings toward the business. I was hoping for more dialog between the characters, especially at the beginning of the book, and most of the blatant action that I’m used to when watching mafia movies was confined, primarily, to the last part of the book. 

If you’re looking for a good title to curl up with after a busy holiday, I would pick this up. It gives you a different perspective of a mafia family with a focus on the young women in the family. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you to my sister, Barb, who bought this book for me after I underwent surgery. It kept my mind off not feeling well!